The Art Of War
by Lt. Sabril
Summary: Kurt has been mentally unstable since he was used in the Weapon X project, but can a visit from an old friend turn his life around? Or will he be forever trapped by the memories of his deeds? AU, contains a few OC's but mostly real xmen.
1. Dreaming of a Brighter Day

_Hey everyone! Okay, this is my first fic so be sure to review, but first I need to explain some things. This fic takes place at the end of Annual 2 of the Ultimate X-men Series, and that IS different from the Uncanny X-men, Astonishing X-men, The New X-men, ect. You can read this particular comic at the URL on my homepage. Enjoy!_

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"How come every time I come looking for you, I find you in shackles?"

Selene sighed, looking down at her old friend. His blue body was completely limp beneath the restraints, save the occasional muscle twitch. From the moment she had set foot on the mansion grounds she had sensed his unconscious mind crying out, but now, standing beside him, it was even stronger. She reached out her hand and lightly stroked his furry arm and, through this contact, felt the full force of his unconscious mind. She felt his pain, his confusion, his loneliness…

_Oh Kurt, How could they let you endure all of this alone? I'm so sorry…_

Without breaking contact with him she pulled a chair up near the head of his bed and sat down. She then slid her hands so that they rested one upon his heart and one on his arm.

_Hang on Kurt…_

She bent over until her forehead rested upon his, and instantly encountered Charles Xavier's mental barriers. But something was amiss, they were weak. She smiled as she realized that Kurt must have been battling them since the moment they had been set in place.

_That's right Blue, fight it!_

Her smile grew even wider as she fondly remembered that silly nickname she had given Kurt so long ago. She pressed her mind harder against the barrier, amazed to find how weak it was, given that it had been constructed by the worlds strongest telepath. Energy that should be strong and direct was static and unfocused, and the strong mind that should be keeping these barriers enforced was…distracted.

_Ah, Charles, with a woman are we?_

She chuckled

_Then I suppose we both got lucky tonight then, eh?_

After of few moments of amusement, she again focused on the task at hand. She began pouring all of her determination into finding some proverbial "hole" in the barrier. After at least twenty minutes of searching, she could find nothing. She began to try another tactic, she attempted to contact Kurt's mind directly, but again to no avail. It was like trying to contact someone through cloudy, sound-proof glass. She knew he was there and she could almost reach him and make him aware of her, but it just wouldn't work. She let out a ragged breath of frustration.

_Damn this barrier, Damn project 'Weapon X', Damn-_

Selene sat bolt upright

_ClickClackClickClack_

Hard-sole shoes echoed down the corridor. In a split second, Selene had returned the chair to its original place and had hidden herself behind the privacy curtain. In walked a girl, probably late teens, early twenties at the most. She wore a lime-green shirt with elbow length white gloves. She had short brown hair with white streaks in the front.

_Probably died it that way to look cool, the brat._

Selene wasn't normally this cocky, even in her mind, but she had sensed from the moment this girl entered the room, she had not come out of compassion for her fellow x-man. After a deep breath, the girl began.

"The professor doesn't want us to be in here…"

_Yeah, he'd rather just leave one of his pupils to rot here alone…_

"…And I don't even know if you can hear me…"

_Of course he can hear you, he just can't respond. Having your mind trapped is not the same as being in a coma, you southern hick… _

"…So I'll make this quick…"

_Good, then I can get him out of here, and away from all of you…_

"…I know what it's like to grow up being a mutant. To have people treat you a certain way just because you're different…"

_You may have a mutation or some form of fungus, which is why you wear those tacky gloves, But you'll never know what he's been through, what I've been through…_

"…I know it must be especially hard when you look different too. People who judged you just by the way you look, they probably thought you were a monster…"

_Monster!?! They tried to lynch him!_

"…I just want to say that after being inside your head…"

_Heh, If you were a telepath you'd be able to sense me. If you were an empath you'd be able to sense me, and unless you got some other wicked power you haven't been in anybodies head!_

"…Seeing what you really are…"

_You'll never really know anybody, even if you have been inside their head…_

"…On the inside…"

_You don't know anything!_

"…I know you're a monster!"

It took all of Selene's strength not to lunge through the curtain and gut that insolent wretch where she stood. She satisfied herself with the fantasy of it, her daggers ripping through that harlot's skin as though it were paper. How dare she insult her friend? Kurt was just confused, he was not a monster!

_ClickClackClickClack_

More footsteps echoed through the hall.

_Who the hell could it be now? Wait a minute…_

Selene struggled to comprehend what she was hearing. These footsteps were leading farther away, not closer. It couldn't be, she still felt an emotional presence in the room, a conscious one. Selene's breath caught in her throat when she peered around the curtain to find that the room was empty, save for herself and Kurt, a single tear running down his cheek. She walked over toward the bed, reached out and touched his arm, confirming what she had seen and sensed. As a steady steam of conscious emotion flooded through her, a smile returned to her face. She slid her arms down once again to their places on his heart and arm. As she bent over she whispered,

"It's going to be alright Kurt I'm going to make it all okay."

Instead of touching his mind, she began to pour herself into him. She fed him her courage, her strength, her belief in him, memories of friendship, and memories of happiness.

_Come on Blue. Come back to me…_

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"I know you're a monster!"

Rouge's voice rang through his head.

_No! I am not! I am no monster! Mein gott kind! Sie sind so dummes! You know nothing of my life!_

Images of blood, horror, and death still raced through his mind.

_Yes, yes I killed. I vill not deny it, but I had no choice!_

"But you didn't have to enjoy it. There's no excuse for that."

He spun around as Professor Xavier glared at him, that horrid, condescending glare.

_No! You have no right to judge me!_

Kurt leapt forward and impaled the professor on his standard issue 'weapon x' sword.

"You shouldn't have done that."

Now all of the X-men surrounded him. Scott, Jean, Kitty, Peter, Rouge, Bobby, Ororo and even Logan, were all poised, ready to strike.

_Not this time!_

Kurt advanced on each one individually, slaughtering them all. When they were all dead, he knelt down on the blood soaked earth and wept.

_Mein gott…Vhat have I done? These vere my friends and I killed them…Rouge vas right, I am a monster…_

Suddenly Kurt felt warmth creeping through his body. He wiped the tears from his eyes to find he was no longer on a bloody battlefield, but a warm beach. He looked around and saw two figures playing in the surf. It was a man and woman, both young and in their primes. Then scene switched, the same man and women were locked in what seemed to be a prison cell. But they were not upset or afraid, no, they were actually playing cards. Then the woman said something and elbowed the man in the ribs, at which point he let out a roaring laugh. Kurt closed his eyes, he knew that laugh, it was his own.

Kurt opened his eyes again to a dimly lit room. There was some one standing over him. As his eyes adjusted to the light he was able to see the person more clearly. She was young with ivory skin, and the most piercing deep blue eyes. Her long blue-black hair was tied back in a loose bun at the nape of her neck. She was clad in a long black trench coat, hiding what clothing was beneath, and black combat boots. She looked down at him, and with a radiant smile said,

"Hey there, Blue."

Kurt blinked a few more times in disbelief.

"Selene, vhat are you doing here?"

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_To be continued…_

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Translations:

Mien gott kind- My god child

Sie sind so dummes- How can you be so stupid

Mien gott- My god


	2. The Choices We Make

_This fic takes place at the end of Annual 2 of the Ultimate X-men Series, and that IS different from the Uncanny X-men, Astonishing X-men, The New X-men, ect. You can read this particular comic at the URL on my homepage. Enjoy!_

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Kurt watched as a smile spread across Selene's face.

"I thought it was obvious", She said, "I'm rescuing you."

"Rescuing me? From vhat?"

"From what? Kurt, look around you! You are tied down in a hospital bed! You just had a so-called _friend_ tell you that you're a monster, and on top of all of that…"

She stopped

"Vhat? And on top of all that vhat?" Kurt asked, exasperated, looking up into Selene's big, blue eyes. She suddenly seemed so sad. Kurt began to struggle against his uncomfortable restraints.

"Mien Gott, could you undo these Selene?"

She nodded, and slowly began to release him from the restraints.

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"Agent Nightcrawler has escaped."

"What!?!" Destiny yelled, practically leaping from her desk.

"He-He escaped with the X-men, along with a few other mutants." stated the now trembling soldier, "The entire base in Finland is in chaos. We've been ordered by HQ to intercept the escapees."

"Get out!" snapped Destiny. After she heard the soldier leave, she reached down and picked up the white cane that was sitting beside her desk. She tapped it quietly as she walked down towards the room.

'The Room' was a nick-name that the entire base used to describe the Commander's office. Originally it had been the interrogation cell, and still did function as one, but since the Commander had been given control over the entire interrogation unit she had decided to make it into her office as well and had her personal quarters moved next door. This did not sit well with most of the soldiers who thought that perhaps the Commander liked her job a little too much. Destiny, however, had seen beyond that, after all, it is easy to see beyond when you're an oracle. The Commander had never taken these odd measures because she enjoyed the screams of her prisoners, but rather because she never wanted to forget them. She had once confided in Destiny that she had horrible nightmares every night and believed that these nightmares along with horrid memories, were too light of a punishment for her deeds. Deeds she would continue to do, so long as belonged to the weapon X project.

Destiny's cane tapped against a heavy steel door. She was here.

_RapRapRap_

"Enter." answered a deathly cold voice.

"Commander, we must speak. There is a crisis unfolding." said Destiny, as she entered the room.

"Shut the door Lieutenant!" barked the Commander. Destiny did so and walked knowingly the four and a half steps forward, where she knew a steel chair awaited her. A chair in which she knew many people had sat down sane and, after spilling all of their secrets, rose quite insane.

"You already know what's happening, don't you?"

"Of course I do, Destiny," said the Commander, "And I've decided to allow it to proceed."

"But if they escape-"

"I _intend_ to let them escape, but fear not, we will not be blamed."

"How can you be so sure?" replied Destiny

"Ah, so you haven't foreseen it then? Very well, I will tell you. The base in France has gone hay-wire as well."

"France?" said Destiny, "What does France have to do with this?"

"Everything. It is in complete chaos. For some reason the entire base seemed to revolt right after they got news of Finland. Probably thought their mutants would try to escape too. All of the commanders fled, as well as many soldiers. And now, how that relates to us. I called a couple of men into my office a few moments ago. Good, respected, soldiers. Men other men follow in times of crisis. And I have…planted, the seeds of rebellion in them."

"Instigating a mutiny against yourself?" said Destiny, amazed, "Even I could not have foreseen that."

"I wouldn't call it a mutiny, a revolt perhaps, but not a mutiny. Besides I intend to leave before the riots begin."

Destiny sat quietly for a moment, allowing this daring plan to soak in.

"You'll be fine," Destiny muttered half to herself, "And-and you'll see him again."

"Who?"

"Kurt, Kurt Wagner. I've seen it."

Destiny heard the Commander giggle.

"You've _seen _it?"

Now it was Destiny's turn to laugh, as she removed her sunglasses to reveal milky-white, and sightless eyes. She knew how amusing the Commander found a blind oracle. She never did miss a chance to ridicule Destiny about what a paradox she was.

"Yes, I saw you and that furry blue elf in a town house together, near a beach I think. It was rather cute."

Destiny heard the Commander rise. She stood as well, arm rising to a salute, but was stopped. Stopped by an embrace from the Commander. Destiny's breath caught in her throat and her spine stiffened, very unsure on what was meant by this sudden physical contact.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to turn you into one of those creatures who haunt my sleep." whispered the Commander, "I just wanted to thank you. You know when I was…promoted, and given command of this unit, I thought my life was over. Sure, I had been captured and made into a weapon, horrible atrocities had been committed to me, but I had never been alone before, not really anyway. At weapon X, I had Nightcrawler, Marrow, and Banshee. And even before that I had….Well it doesn't matter, but now…who could I possibly have now? I knew no one at this base. I was also going to be commanding mostly humans! I was sure to be alienated. But how lucky, how _lucky_, I was to discover the officer under me was a mutant, and probably one of the most mentally stable mutants in the whole weapon X project. I confided in her, and her in me, and we became friends. Together we rose from the ashes and managed to throw away the chains of the humans who had imprisoned us and, in some fashion, begin to work for ourselves. And now, when I tell her I am about to destroy everything we've worked so hard for, she comforts me. She tells me I am going to see the man I thought I had lost forever….I can never repay you for all that you've done and all that you are to me, Destiny."

Tears rolled down Destiny's cheeks.

"Commander…"

"Don't call me that!" She said, breaking their embrace, "You know my name, Destiny, call me-"

_CrashBoomBash _

The entire building began to quake and shouting could be heard from down the corridor.

"The riots." said Destiny.

"Do you have a way out?"

"Of course," Destiny replied, "I had always foreseen something of this nature occurring, but I had no idea that this is how it would play out. How 'bout you?"

"I've got a jet waiting for me to pilot it wherever my heart desires. Who knows? I might even look into a town house by the beach."

"Alright then, good luck, and thank you…Selene."

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"Thank you, Selene."

Selene looked up with a start, having just finished undoing Kurt's last restraint.

"Sind sie brunnen?" Kurt asked, inquisitively.

"I don't speak German, Kurt." Selene replied.

"Vielleicht sie sollten lernen." Kurt said, smiling mischievously.

Selene reached up and gave him a swift punch in the arm and, in spite of herself, smiled. She was glad to see that the all of the traumas Kurt had faced had not completely robbed him of his humor and boyish charm.

"Well, Kurt, you've just broken through a mental barrier created by one of the strongest telepaths in the world, what are you going to do now?" said Selene, teasingly.

Kurt's smile faded.

"I…I'm not sure."

"Well, from where I'm standing, you've got three options." said Selene. She placed one had on her hip, and used the other to tally up her suggestions.

"One, you could wait here for dear ol' professor to get back, find out you broke his barrier, and then god only knows what he'll do. Two, disappear into the night, with no provisions or plan. Or, three, you could set out with me, who has a safe house, supplies, and can help get you mentally stable until you're ready to set out on your own. Don't give me that look! You need help and you know it."

She sat down on the bed beside him and continued, this time more gently.

"Kurt, you where never properly rehabilitated after weapon X. You just kind of pushed it to the back of your mind until it bubbled over and you had an existential melt down. I can help you. I can make it so it doesn't happen again. I can prepare you to deal with these emotions. Xavier can't do that, he doesn't understand what you've been thought. No X-man does! Well, maybe Logan does, but he's still a basket-case himself!...But, I'm not going to force you."

She stood up and glanced down at her watch.

"I'm going to leave at 12:45, that's ten minutes. I hope you have made up your mind by then."

She turned and walked out of the room, leaving him alone to weigh his options.

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Charles Xavier woke up with a start. He closed his eyes and tried to sense his barriers.

_Damn_

"What's wrong, Charles?" said Lilandra, pulling the covers up around her.

"I need to get back to the mansion. Something has gone terribly wrong."

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Selene looked down at her watch.

12:55

_Come on. You've already waited for him an extra ten minutes. If he's not coming, he's not coming._

She kick-started her motorcycle. Reckless, she knew, but she wanted to give him a definite sign she was leaving, and to hell with whoever it might wake up. With a heavy heart she slowly made her way down the mansion's long and twisted driveway, and mournfully turned the corner onto the main road.

_BAMF_

She smelt a whiff of brimstone as two furry arms wrapped themselves about her waist. She placed one of her hands on top of his, as a single tear of relief fell down her cheek.

_I really missed you, Blue._

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_To be continued…_

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Translations:

Mien Gott- My God.

Sind sie brunnen?- Are you well?

Vielleicht sie sollten lernen- Perhaps you should learn.

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_Authors Notes:_

_Wow, this chapter is ungodly long. I put way to much time into that flashback, but I wanted to lay some ground work for how Destiny is going to play into all of this, and I wanted to show Selene at weapon X. But, job well done Sabril pats self on back O Mien Gott! It's exactly 12:45 as I am posting this story. Irony! Or perhaps an omen? Anyway, thanks to all of the three people thus far who have typed their support and all of the 62 people who have at least stumbled on to this story so far. Thank you and Goodnight!_

_-Lt. Sabril_


End file.
